[j3_av8r]

Here is a pic of Trevor smiling after his 2nd place finish at the Fergus Pattern Primer...

[tch_popeye]

Originally Posted by j3_av8r

Here is a pic of Trevor smiling after his 2nd place finish at the Fergus Pattern Primer...

So, Andy spilled the good news already.

The plane was great to fly! My own little(r) foamy could not have possibly handled the windspeed that day, cleanly, for a pattern contest. Sure it's indestructible, but it pitches and rolls really badly in such a wind.

The Yak was surprisingly stable and tracked very well. Like Andy said, we basically copied the setup manually, number for number, from his Tx into mine. My first takeoff was in front of the judges and being scored... good thing for the trim lap in Sportsman, I only had to add a little bit of aileron trim to keep it flat.

Although light for what it is, my initial impression was still that it has substantial mass for a foamy - this is part of what keeps it under control in the wind. However, it floated and bobbed on landing, so it's obviously not too heavy for its wings.

The judges *were* quite impressed with the way the Yak handled the weather that day!

-Trev

[j3_av8r]

Originally Posted by maxx

Wow, Trevor used the plane in a precision aerobatic competition and won a second place in the class! I am very impressed!

I am very happy to hear that the plane performed well. Thanks a lot, Andy!

The Hokusei Yak is the lightest among the 3 Yaks being tested. Maybe it could use a slightly small motor for a better CG position. Or a smaller battery could help. Right now, the wing tube is preventing from moving the battery towards the tail further?

Best regards,

I was able to move the battery pack one bay aft. I turned the battery on edge and it just fit. This bay has the wing tube passing through it as well as the wing hold-down screws. The first step was to fit a couple of pieces of black EPP to level out the floor. I then needed a way to fasten the battery into place. Taking advantage of the wing hold down screws, I made a lite ply plate with a velvro strap on it and another piece of velcro to hold the battery from sliding fore/aft. This piece then screws in and holds the battery and the wing in place at the same time. I think the photos probably explain it better. In the end, this shifted the CG almost 10 mm aft. So now it balances just aft of the recommended position.

I flew it again today (it was breezy again!) and it is a much better 3D machine. It hovers much better and it will now do flatter spins. I will try adding a little more tailweight still. One of these days I will get to fly it when it is calm! Some of the guys at the Hespeler field today commented on how well it flew for a being "just" a foamie.